A Guide to Australian Rules Football

Written by Viator, August 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:

Sporting Event, Tip - Dos & Don'ts, Stadium

One of the best ways to get beneath the skin of a country is through sport, and when you’re talking Australia, and Melbourne in particular, that sport would have to be Australian Rules Football.
Melbourne is famously sports mad, and every year from March through September the only word around town is the ‘footy’.

In a nutshell, this particular game of football pitches two teams of 18 players against each other, their sole aim to get possession of an oval-shaped football and kick it through the goal posts. This rough and ready contact sport sees players handballing, bouncing, catching and doing anything in their power to possess the ball. The game is fast and furious, and passionately followed by the screaming fans in the stands.

While Melbourne is the home of Aussie Rules Football, and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the game’s heartland, you can also catch games in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Launceston.

The best way to get to grips with the ins and outs of this notoriously exciting and rule-driven game is to catch a match live in Melbourne with a seasoned local, at either the MCG or Etihad Stadium. They’ll help explain the rules, share tips and tales about the game, and introduce you to the essential half-time ritual of enjoying a meat pie with ketchup, washed down with a local beer.

For a behind-the-scenes look at Aussie Rules, take the Sports Lovers Tour of Melbourne. You’ll tour the famous MCG and visit Melbourne’s many other iconic sporting venues – Flemington Racecourse, home of the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Aquatic Centre, take a drive around the Albert Park F1 Grand Prix racetrack and have lunch at Etihad Stadium. Choose the Brewery Tour combo to include a taste testing of world-famous Foster’s beer.

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Reply by Alexander R, October 2011

Doing what: Sports Lovers Tour of Melbourne plus Foster's Australia Brewery

Friendly and knowledgeable guide. Different tour guide for the MCG (an MCG member veteran) who gave some dodgy facts about MCG, but other than that all the information seemed correct. Brewery was interesting to see the bottling process and learn a bit more about some of Australia's flagship brands.

Does exactly what this tour says on the tin - Good tour for people who like sport and beer!

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Reply by Natalie B, June 2011

Doing what: Sports Lovers Tours of Melbourne, Australia

All sport fans will love this tour. Our guide was fantastic and very knowledgeable. Arrived right on time and was more than happy to accommodate our special requests